How To Make a Superhero
by DarianOne
Summary: Blake was your average every day citizen of Metropolis. Until one day when a superhero fight broke out and changed the course of her life forever. Now, armed with the powers of a certain caped superhero she delves into the mysterious world of aliens and meta-humans. With a secret to be unraveled and a target on her back what will our hero do?
1. Unidentified Hovering Object

**A/N: Hey so instead of uploading more chapters of my other two stories I decided to write a new one! yay!... sorry. I had this idea in my head for a while an I've written a lot for it. This story will be significantly longer than my other two. This story is set around an OC and I know that's not everyone's cup of tea but I made sure to avoid spoiling or making my OC overpowered for no reason like some stories. Drop a review if you have any questions I will try my best to answer. **

**In case your wondering I'm setting up this universe to be more along the lines of the DC Movie Universe in terms of looks. Because even though the movies are meh, I still like the overall look and feel of the characters. In this timeline there is an already established Justice League who've fought Darkseid like the "Justice League: War" animation movie. I don't think I will make this a crossover with my other Justice League fanfic because it features Percy Jackson and that can be immersion-breaking. So, anyways, enjoy!**

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Chapter One:

Unidentified Hovering Object

"Blake!" called out my aunt, "Table three wants chips and salsa. Table six ordered three baskets of buffalo wings, okay?"

I nodded, "Got it." I lifted a platter filled with plates of food and headed out into the dining pavilion. Ever since I got out of high school I started working at my uncle and aunt's restaurant, _Donnie's Wing Hut_. It was their grandpa's restaurant passed down to his only two grandchildren. Anders, my uncle, ran the day-to-day and handled all the billing and paperwork while my aunt, Denise, worked as the Kitchen manager and on short-staffed days worked the till taking orders.

The restaurant was a large open-concept building with most of the tables located outside in the pavilion. It was meant to give the customers a nice breeze under the sunshine. But Lex Corp decided that a large towering skyscraper would look nice, right next to Centennial Park. The giant building shadowed a good portion of the restaurant and park. I placed a stool next to a table of customers and set down the platter of food. I handed each plate out when suddenly a boom was heard in the sky. A brief flashback to when I was at an Airforce Show came to mind. This sounded like a jet breaking the sound-barrier. High in the sky was a flying person.

"Superman!" a customer said excited. Immediately the surrounding customers stood up taking out their phones bumping me slightly in the process. I held onto a plate that almost escaped my grasp. Everyone in the pavilion started chatting excitedly at the thought of witnessing the superhero in action. However, it was the _other_ flying person that was more interesting. Superman and the unknown person appeared to be talking, you could tell which one was superman because of his bright red cape, when all of sudden the unknown person shot forward at a blinding speed knocking superman into the Lex Corp building. There was an audible crash as the two flew inside the building.

"Everyone! Listen up," my aunt shouted out, walking from inside the restaurant. "Everybody needs to come inside." Right, superhero fights tended to cause massive damage to streets and buildings.

"Okay head inside please," I said nervous. I feared for the safety of the customers and the restaurant itself. Unfortunately, some of the customers were more excited to see the famous hero than worry about their own safety. A few people were adamant about staying outside while others headed in with haste. Thankfully Denise was quick to usher inside the few stubborn individuals. She had two people by the shoulders walking them in. I noticed there was a man near the end of the pavilion trying to capture the fight on his phone.

"Blake, get inside!" Denise called out.

"I will. Hold on," I said pointing to the last customer. I didn't get to see my aunts agitated expression I knew she had on as I jogged to the man. "Sir, you need to come inside."

"Worry about yourself!" he snapped. That was when I noticed the camera he had. It wasn't a phone like I thought. It was a small professional camera designed to take long-distance shots. He continued to try to record or capture a photo.

"Listen buddy, you ne-" A loud explosion went off right in front of us! The man and I were knocked back off our feet. I hit the ground landing on my back. The pain was immediate and stung. I could feel heat all along the right side of my body. I groaned in pain. I tried to roll off my side when the floor beneath me crumbled apart. I let out a yell and I could faintly hear my name being called out in panic as I fell a into the growing hole.

I landed face first this time onto cold white floor. I stood up shakily and slightly dazed. My left leg was throbbing in pain and my entire back and arms were covered in scrapes. To my amazement I was able to stand. Looking back where I fell, I could see the outside sky through the hole. With all of the rubble and debris it looked impossible to climb back up. I took notice of my surroundings. I was in a hallway similar to that of a hospital. Which was very odd. I was essentially right underneath the restaurant but instead of a basement or just miles of dirt, was a hospital? That didn't add up. I tried to call out for help, "Hello! Can anybody hear me?!" I yelled for a few minutes but to no response. I briefly wondered where the man with the camera had gone. I tried not to think about what probably happened to him. What most likely happened with an explosion of that magnitude. But how am I still alive? I wondered.

My train of thought was interrupted by a beeping noise and red flashing light. Down the hallway on the wall was a keypad of some kind. I absentmindedly walked toward it. I gripped my arm as a wave of pain shot through my leg. I eventually managed to hobble over to the keypad. It looked really high-tech with various buttons and a small miniature keyboard. Near the bottom was a telephone symbol and my heart flooded with relief. I could call someone. _Thank God_, I thought. I pressed it and a calm robotic voice spoke out a single word, "Identify."

"Um, hello?" I said.

To which the keypad responded with, "Identify."

"Uh. I don't work here. I'm trapped down here! Please can anybody hear me." I said starting to worry that this might've been a useless endeavor.

I tried pressing the button a couple of times when the voice spoke out in a sterner tone, "Intruder. Stay where you are. Intruder." It just kept repeating itself. Around me the lights on the wall turned flashing red. I backed away slowly not knowing what to expect.

"Shit." I said. The last thing I needed right now was to be arrested. "Fuck. Shit. Fuck." I said trying to hobble away. That was when the roof stared to drop down. At least a portion of it. A giant wall descended from the ceiling slamming down closing off the room I was just in with the giant hole I fell through. The wall looked like a metal reinforced door thing. Straight out of a Sci-fi movie. I half expected more door/walls to come down and close off any means of escape. But it was just that one. "Fucking shit." I growled. More worried than ever I began to run toward the only direction I could, down the mysterious hall. And when I say run, I more or less, speed-hobbled.

I reached the end of the hallway to find a T-intersection. I could go left or right. The right hallway seemed to lead into a large room while the left hallway just continued. "Ennie, meenie, miney- that way," I said choosing to go right. I hobbled for a few minutes until I reached the entryway to the room, but "room" wasn't the right word. It was more like, "huge fucking underground bunker". I was on a crosswalk a couple hundred feet up that extended out into the middle of the bunker and veered off into separate directions. In the bunker were high-tech looking vehicles. There were a few eighteen-wheelers, a helicopter, and a few vans that had the Lex Corp logo printed on the side. That was when it dawned on me where I was. I can't believe it took that long. I was under Lex Corp. Why was Lex Luthor, the dude running for president, building under a wing restaurant? A rumble shook the building. Alright, I need to work on getting out of here. I noticed that the hallway I exited from had a neighboring hallway with a staircase leading upwards. _Well, better than going down I suppose_. I turned briefly back at the bunker room and my heart leaped out of my chest. Behind me was a floating robot thing. It was bronze colored and had a grid-like design on a circular panel. It just floated there. I was about to head up the stairs and ignore it when it made a loud broken sound.

"ZZZKSK-GKSH SHZZIKS-KSHSHK," the gridded panel moved in rhythm with the noise. Extending and shrinking back into itself.

"Ohhhh-kay" I said starting to walk up the stairs.

"BSSHZZIKK! VGHSPPP-POSSHSKZ!" the robot flew in front of me, blocking my ascent.

I took a step back confused. It didn't seem to be aggressive. It sounded like it was trying to communicate. "Uh. I uh, I'm not sure what your trying to say," I said to it.

From behind me a voice rang out, "The intruder has been spotted, Immediate back-up is requ-" he was cut off by a blast of blue light hitting him square in the chest.

I jumped up in fright. "Holy shit," I said looking at the guy who was just shot. He wore a white lab coat with a shirt and tie underneath. He laid on the ground unconscious or dead, I wasn't sure. I looked back at the robot, "Did you just shoot that guy?!" I said frantic.

To which the robot responded with, "ZZSHITIV-HOSTSSTSH-ILE."

Whoa it almost said a word. Sounded like, "Hostile." I looked back at the scientist looking man and saw him groan in pain. "Oh, thank god," I said relieved. The man was still very much unconscious though. I put my hand to my rapidly beating heart and laid my other hand on the robot. It immediately pressed against my hand adjusting itself so that I was touching its grid-like panel. "What?" I muttered. Suddenly my hand felt like it was magnetized to the robot. I couldn't let go! "What the hell, man!" I said annoyed. The robot started hovering a little bit higher and started making weird humming sounds. At this point I was on my tippy-toes. "What the fuck are you doing," I cried out. _Oh shit_, I thought. _It's trying to take me somewhere! _I used my free arm and grabbed onto the robot with all my strength, the last thing I wanted was a dislocated arm. As soon as both my hands were on it took off flying upwards! "Fuuuuucking Hell!" I yelled as we flew through the facility.

We flew all the way to… somewhere! I had my eyes closed during the unwarranted flight. When we stopped moving, I could feel the robot let go of my hand, but I still held on, I didn't want to look down. I didn't have a fear of heights or anything, but I didn't want to risk it. The robot wasn't having it though and started to shake side to side until I slipped off landing on my butt. I wasn't far from the floor. _Oh, thank you God_, I thought relieved. When I fell, I landed on my hurt leg and I had to grit my teeth at the pain. Slowly I stood up again. The robot hovered in front of me and said in coherent words, "HumANS SSHHZKK-SHZX FRagiLEZKK."

"Yeah, we tend to be," I said. I should have been more shocked to be talking to a robot, but I was in so much pain I just wanted to be home again.

The robot started floating away, "Follow." It spoke without the broken garbled noise.

I followed it without any other options. It led me down a corridor and several different directions. The robot seemed to know which way to go. Eventually we arrived at another large room, this one appeared to be a laboratory of some kind. What took my breath away was the giant spaceship resting on a pedestal. Black and gold with impressive carvings and symbols etched along the side. It seemed to be made out of the same material as the robot. There were several wires and large tubing connecting to the ship and to a couple large computers surrounding it. What gave me another shock were the several scientists passed out on the ground. My first thought was that they died but upon closer inspection they appeared to be alive, only stunned. I turned to the robot who just floated wordlessly toward the ship.

The robot shot at a few of the wires and tubing attached to the ship. Seeing it again it looked like a blue laser that it kept firing. A small compartment opened up at the front of the ship, just the right size for the robot to fit in. The robot then turned to look at me with it's grid face. "Come," it said.

I was a little braver now, whatever this robot needed involved me being alive. I stood my ground and asked, "Why? What do you want me for?"

The robot hovered without a word for a few moments, but then said, "To preserve my kind."

"What do you _need_ me for?" I asked again.

Behind the robot the ship opened up fully, and I could see a seat.

"Activate the center console."

"Why?" I demanded.

"I cannot access the main computer," it said. Behind me I could here footsteps, a lot of footsteps coupled with shouting. The footsteps started to become louder and the robot made a static noise, like a radio tuning into a station. The voice of a woman rang out. "The order is to kill on sight. We move on my signal." The robots voice took over and said, "The pod will protect you."

_Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_, I thought scared out of my mind. I didn't know what this robot wanted but it was better than being gunned down. I hurried to the ship or pod or whatever it was and climbed into it. As soon as I was in the doors closed above me and the console in front of me lit up with a blue light. Alien symbols covered the keyboard. Through the glass I could see the robot entering the compartment. "So, are we flying out of here?" I asked.

"No," the robots voice came from all around me this time. "This is not a flight-capable vessel."

"Obviously," I said sarcastically.

"If it was obvious why did you assume it would fly?" the robot questioned.

I didn't answer and instead asked, "What do we do now?"

"Place your hand on the indicated panel." I looked at the mess of foreign symbols and buttons and saw a hand shaped indention outlined by a blue glow. I pressed my right hand onto it."

"Okay done, now what?"

"To preserve my race, I must safeguard the genetic code of my people." From the entrance of the lab poured in twenty or so armed guards. "This pod can no longer maintain the level of security needed to protect it. The human scientists have found a way in. As the sole guardian of POD-217 I must decide a new location for it to reside in." By now the guards have surrounded the pod. The apparent leader of the squad started speaking but I couldn't make out what. The pod seemed to block out any outside noise. "I've decided that a biological creature, another human being, would be a more than adequate location for the genetic-code to be stored." I was just more confused now, but before I could voice my confusion the pod sprouted mechanical arms that proceeded to hold me down.

"What the fuck! What are you doing!?" I screamed out. The pod seemed to change around me, the space I was in started to shrink as metal panels closed around me. Soon enough I was in a tube that started to fill with a cold liquid. "Let me out!" I screamed. Then I felt a sharp pain on both sides of my neck. The pain worsened as I could feel two needles extend into me. It was an uncomfortable pain that left me unable to speak. Soon I was fully submerged in the liquid. I could feel something solid touch my forehead and that was when the world went black.

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**A/N: I do not own Justice League, It belongs to DC. Any original character belongs to me.**


	2. Resurrection

Chapter 2:

Resurrection

The only thing I could perceive was the black endless void around me. I floated there for a few seconds when I heard a voice call out. I expected to hear the robot's voice, but it was a woman's. "Hello… your name is... Blake Sanders. Date of birth unknown. Location of birth unknown."

"Um. Who are you?" I asked.

"Are you an orphan?" The voice asked

The fact that the voice knew my name unnerved me. Was it reading my mind? I _was_ an orphan and I have no idea when or where I was born. I was raised in a foster home most of my life. "Yeah I am," I said.

"I am also an orphan," the voice said a little coldly. "I knew my parents of course, but they were taken from me in the war."

"Oh," was all I said.

"A project was created after the carnage had settled. We had lost so many of us. A plan was enacted. To preserve our kind and make sure that we were not wiped off the face of the cosmos. I am truly sorry Blake Sanders." She spoke almost monotone.

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

"You are currently inside a Gene-Recoding Chamber. My programing allows me to be aware of what's happening but not allow me to interfere with the process. The human body is closely related to the one of a kryptonian in terms of physical structure." Kryptonian? Like Superman? I recalled hearing that was what he was called on the news during an interview with him. "Yes, like your earth's Superman, another kryptonian part of a separate house, The house of El."

"So, you're reading my mind," I said strangely calm.

"Yes, I have access to all of your memories and base functions. This is necessary for the procedure to finish. The chamber is currently reconstructing your genetic code down to the very atom. Changing your human genes into that of a kryptonian's."

Calm. That's the only feeling I could muster. Calmness. I knew I should have felt anger and outrage, but I couldn't muster the proper emotions one would feel in this situation.

The voice answered my question before I could ask it, "I am suppressing your negative emotions, if you were to resist it would cause _complications_."

"Why me?" I asked.

"You were non-hostile. It was by luck that we found you."

"So, you need me to keep your race alive, but I'm not about to go making babies for you guys," I said annoyed.

The voice actually laughed, "No, no. We need you to _house_ the genetic code. Nothing more than that. The drone you met, Bellad, will accompany you until a more suitable location is found or until the council makes contact again. Bellad is not capable of defending the ship any longer. We need you Blake to carry out our mission. More will become clear I promise but the process is near completion. For now, I wish you good luck on your journey."

I wanted to ask more. As the voice faded my initial emotions of fear, anger, and confusion resurfaced. _Oh shit, was this really happening?_ I thought as I started to regain feeling in my limbs. There was another odd feeling, or the absence of a feeling. I couldn't feel my jeans or even my shoes. I rolled my shoulders and sure enough I wasn't wearing my sweater I'd put on in the morning. _Oh god please tell me I'm not naked right now_. The liquid surrounding me began to drain and the chamber around me opened up. The robot, now named Bellad, spoke, "Ready yourself Blake Sanders. The humans outside have been firing at the pod for the past thirty minutes.

"I was in there for half an hour!?" I said shocked.

"No. It has been seven days, fourteen hours, and twenty-two minutes," Bellad said.

"Your fucking with me, right?" I almost yelled.

"No, I am not."

When I sat up, I noticed I was wearing a dark blue skin-tight outfit that covered me neck to toes leaving my hands free. "What am I wearing?" I asked.

"A uniform designed for the house of-" an explosion cut off Bellad. Looking out the glass I saw at least twice as many guards than before. There was a bald man in a business suit, a couple more scientists, and an armored individual wielding what looked to be a fucking rocket launcher. "The humans are getting desperate. I have downloaded all the data from the pod into my mainframe so they can no longer access it. As soon as the re-coding process began, the pod went into lockdown. It is not anymore."

"What do we do?" I said feeling weirdly calm.

"We must fight our way out," Bellad replied.

"But I don't know how to fight," I said annoyed. "I'm not a _superhero_!"

"That's alright. I will show you." Then Bellad opened up the pod doors and the shooting stopped. The man in the business suit stepped forward. I recognized him, he was Lex Luthor. I felt obligated to stand up as well. I noticed right away that the pain in my leg was gone and I didn't feel any of the scrapes or bruising underneath… whatever I was wearing. My hair was out of my ponytail though, I wasn't ever used to it hanging down my shoulders, but I grew up with a family that believed my long hair was too pretty to cut short.

"Miss, if you would please exit the spaceship. We can talk about what happened," Lex Luthor said through a megaphone. He then turned to the person standing next to him, one of the guards but she wasn't wearing a helmet. Somehow, I could actually hear him whisper to her. He said, "As soon as she's in range, tranquilize her." He then turned back to me grinning in a calm manner, "Miss we would like to ask you a few questions. If you could just step off the ship."

Without warning Bellad ejected himself from the front of the pod and flew right over me! He flew directly behind me and attached himself to my backside. "What the hell, Bellad!" I said caught off-guard. The robot didn't have arms I could see but mechanic limbs stretched over and under my arms like a backpack. Then a cold metal prong touched the back of my head.

"Accessing memory bank," Bellad's voice spoke in my head. It was a bizarre feeling. Suddenly flashes of somebody fighting obscured my vision. Was I fighting? It was from my perspective, but it was somebody else's arms and legs throwing punches and kicks. The flashes stopped and I was still standing on the pod unmoving. I didn't feel any different besides having experienced that mental whiplash. I noticed that by now the guards had moved in and were only a few feet from me. They had guns aimed right at me. Shit! Without a second thought I high-kicked the weapon out of the guard's hands. The guards immediately turned hostile and a rain of bullets hit me. I went to block my face with my arms, but I didn't even feel pain. I could feel the bullets, sure, but they ricocheted off me like if they were rubber.

"Restrain her!" Luthor called out.

The guards started surrounding me and the pod. One guard jumped at me, intending to tackle me to the ground, but instead I sidestepped him with ease. I leaped off the pod and spring boarded off another guard landing near the staircase leading to the exit. There were two guards who opened fire to no avail. I snatched the gun off one guard and round-house kicked the second. The first guard drew a knife and started to take jabs at me, but I countered each strike and then hit him over the head with the gun. I started aiming at the guards behind firing shot after shot until each one was down. I hadn't missed once. I turned to the exit, Lex Luthor was nowhere to be seen and the woman started drawing fire, pulling out her own two guns and shooting at my head. These bullets stung a little. I threw the gun in my hand with all the strength I could muster. It hit her straight in the chest and knocked her into the wall! She slid down with a thump. Unconscious. Hopefully without a broken ribcage.

"You are doing well," Bellad said. "Head down this corridor and then make a left."

I followed his instructions and eventually we ended back at the bunker room. Bellad told me to head all the way down and toward the door that read "Exit." Wish I had seen that on the way in here. We finally made it out of Lex Corp. As soon as we were outside a wave of intense pain flooded my head. "Argh!" I yelled clutching my hair. I fell to my knees in agony. The sunlight felt like it was burning through my very being. I could feel this intense pressure building up behind my eyes. When I opened them, I saw through cars and buildings. I could see people inside their cars. I could see their skeletons! "What the hell is happening to me!" I shouted.

"I am unsure," Bellad said. Though when he spoke it was unbearably loud.

"Shut up!" I yelled.

"What is wrong?" Bellad asked, but before he could further inquire, I yanked him off my back and threw him away from me. I needed silence. The world was so loud. Too loud! Cars honking miles away, people talking over one another so much it was incoherent. There was banging and drilling noises that overwhelmed me. I couldn't take anymore. The more frustrated I got the more heat I could feel around my eyes and when I opened them, I could feel that heat escape. There was a loud burning-cracking noise when I did, and I suddenly remembered one of Superman's trademark abilities was to shoot laser beams out of his freaking eyes. I closed mine and the heat started to wane. I felt tired all of a sudden. Like I had just ran three marathons back-to-back. I didn't dare to open my eyes though, in fear of hurting somebody or even myself. I tried crawling forward.

"Bellad?" I called out. "Oh Jesus Christ," I said exasperated. Carefully I opened my eyes to find my vision returned to normal. I let out a breath of relief. That was when a slightly dented Bellad floated toward me.

"Are you alright Miss Blake?" he asked gently.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm okay."

"Good. We need to leave now, I will reattach myself to your back again if that is alright," Bellad said moving closer to me.

I nodded my wordless agreement. Bellad seemed a little different, more human, or something. The robot floated toward my backside again and the metal backpack straps reappeared. We began to hover for a few seconds before flying off into the sky. "Where do you reside?" Bellad asked. I gave him my address, I lived in a small apartment complex near the bay. It didn't have a nice view of the water, but a ten-minute walk was all that was needed to reach it. It wasn't much but it was home. Bellad and I soared through the air home bound.

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**A/N: I do not own Justice League, It belongs to DC. Any original character belongs to me.**


	3. No Place Like Home

**A/N: Shout out to Hestia1943, thanks for an awesome comment!**

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Chapter 3:

No Place Like Home

When we arrived Bellad had taken to landing near the back of the complex next to the dumpsters. The drone detached himself from my back and said, "I will cloak myself. It is best if we maintain a cover for your week long disappearance." The robot turned nearly invisible. He looked transparent but you couldn't see him if you weren't looking.

"Right," I said with a growing headache. How was I going to explain all this to Denise and Anders? Once the coast was clear we snuck into my apartment and I proceeded to change into a pair of normal clothes. I stuffed the blue uniform into a box under my bed. Bellad reappeared next to me.

"Do you have a computer?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." I searched for my laptop that was nearly dead, plugged in the charger, and showed it to Bellad. One of the oval shaped protrusions on the robot opened up and a metal wire shot out and plugged itself into the computer. My computer which _had _been password protected unlocked itself and then began to flash images of several different web browsers, I caught a brief glimpse of Metropolis General Hospital's homepage. "What are you doing?" I asked.

Bellad didn't respond until he was finished with my laptop. The wire unplugged itself and retracted back into him. "I've established a medical file at the nearest hospital. You were found in the rubble by Lex Corp, unconscious, and brought to Metropolis General for care. Lex Corp has already given free medical attention to the victims of the surrounding carnage of their building. I managed to input your own name and record into those files."

"Seriously!" I said impressed. If Denise wondered why I didn't call I could just say that I didn't have my phone while I was bedridden at the hospital. She knows I could never memorize phone numbers. My laptop's internal fan turned on louder than I've ever heard it before. "You didn't, like, break my laptop?" I said worried.

"No, but you should let it cool down for a few minutes before using it again." Bellad started floating around my home going into each room. I went to sit on my couch. I was mentally exhausted from all this mayhem. What _was_ I now? Am I like Superman? Did this mean I have his powers? The powers of a superhero? I asked myself those questions, but I knew deep down that no normal person could deflect bullets and shoot lasers out of their eyes. I also felt stronger, but not in the physical sense. I didn't suddenly gain abs and the muscles of an Olympic athlete. It was more like everything else in the world became lighter.

"This is insufficient," Bellad's voice rang out from behind me.

"Sorry, it's only a one-bedroom."

"No. These are adequate living quarters. I refer to the genetic code inscribed into your DNA. Eventually we will need to find a more suitable base of operations and a higher functioning computer."

I nodded in agreement, "Right once we find that for you, I get to be human again."

Bellad was silent.

A wave of worry hit me like a ton of bricks. "Right, Bellad? You can make me human again?"

"The procedure you underwent. Is irreversible."

"What." I whispered in shock. A wave of different emotions hit me. I couldn't stay a kryptonian! I needed to be human. To be normal. That buildup of heat around my eyes I felt when we exited Lex Corp came back to me. "That pod changed me without my permission and you're saying it can't be undone!?" I yelled.

Bellad hovered back a few inches at my outburst. "I am truly sorry, Miss Blake."

"Are you though! You're just a drone! Not a person!"

"True, but I know that what you have been through is more than the average human can bare. But you are not human anymore Miss Blake. You are kryptonian. You are more than human now and you possess the will of the house that has gifted you your abilities. You can wallow in your self-pity or you can overcome this challenge before you." Bellad spoke with a commanding tone that I didn't expect could come from an artificial being. "You may have lost your _humanity_, Miss Blake, but you are still _you_."

I looked on at Bellad in slight awe. For a robot he gave a hell of a pep talk. He was right. Just because I was alien now didn't mean I still couldn't be… _me_. I felt the heat in my eyes fade with my anger. "I'm… sorry for yelling at you, Bellad," I said looking down in shame. It was stupid of me to be this upset with a robot that had no choice in the matter. He was just following programming. I couldn't fault him for that.

"It is alright Miss Blake. It is a reasonable reaction to experience."

I needed to clear my head a bit and call Denise or drive up to the restaurant. No wait, I left my car at the restaurant. I gave an annoyed huff. This was some day. "Bellad can I… can I fly like Superman?" I asked.

"It is certainly possible. I do not know the extent of earth's atmospheric effect on kryptonian biology. When the gene-recoding process was complete your cellular structure began to mutate. It is most likely you will develop similar abilities to the one known as Superman, but I cannot be sure."

Bellad seemed a little, I don't know, annoyed? "Don't like it when you don't know something?"

"That is an accurate statement, I am a research drone, designation; Bellad. I am an A.I. but I was programmed with a need to obtain knowledge. For whatever absurd reason."

It was actually a little funny to see this much personality on a being with no real face or body. It was a little more than exciting to see a glimpse into kryptonian society. Did all of them have personal drones? How advanced were they? To have robot drones that could fly in the air without any seeable jet propulsion. To have pods that could re-write genetic code in a week. It was kind of amazing.

As if reading my thoughts Bellad said, "Krypton is a technological marvel. Human science is far from reaching that of my planet's. Miss Blake, would you like to see Krypton through the eyes of one of its top scientists?"

"Yeah I would."

"Then lie down," Bellad said hovering higher in the air. I laid down on my couch, putting a cushion behind my head. One of Bellad's metal arms emerged and touched my forehead. "Initiating protocol MB-32." Bellad's face panel began showing flashes of an alien language and the world went black.

Krypton, Vorkan City. Eight years before its destruction.

Faora

Once every few decades civil war would break out between the houses of Krypton. Arguments over ethical decisions and political maneuvering were not uncommon. If another nest of hellgrammites were located, was it better to exterminate the batch or to relocate them like zoo animals? Coexistence was never apart of Krypton's dictionary. For years my family had been at the forefront of alien research and experimentation and tonight we had revolutionized the way gene augmentation could be utilized.

"Faora, you called a meeting with the council. Why?" My commander, Dru, walked in from the hanger bay. I was in our lab with two other scientists. The smell of metal and chemical composites filled the air. Behind us was a large restructuring pod designed for surgery and other medical procedures. The room was dark, but I could still see the fresh cuts and bruises that littered Dru's face.

"Are you alright, Commander?" I asked.

"I'm fine. A squadron of Appelaxians breached the outer border of Krypton. They put up a good fight, but we managed to run them off," he said annoyed.

"You don't sound pleased about your victory."

"I would have rather left no survivors, but you are evading the question Faora." Dru paced around the lab while removing his armor. He continued, "You know as well as I that the council will not approve of our _project_ and any findings we may have will be confiscated. Years of work and for what?"

"We made a breakthrough," I said. Dru's eyes widened in mild excitement. He knew what our research was capable of creating. "We've pushed POD 12 as far as we could, and we need the council's approval for further experimentation and access to better resources." I looked him right in the eye, "Dru, we've successfully created a fully functioning gene repurposing chamber."

"That is great news Faora, but I still fail to see why the council must be involved," Dru said with a rising temper.

"Without the council's blessing we won't have access to the materials we need to keep going. We've come far but there's still a lot to learn.

"I'd expect you would make use with what you have, but I understand the importance of your research. I'll speak to my general. We'll have him attend the meeting, Jor-El always jumps at the chance to speak with council members regarding the future of Krypton. He'll be on board with what we're doing." Dru walked toward the pod and placed a hand on the glass cover, "Krypton will be a beacon of planetary conquest…. and our work, Faora," he looked back over to me with a rare smile, "will be at the center of it."

Blake

The world started to fade, and I was left with more questions than answers. Was Faora the voice from the pod? She sounded similar to the pod-woman, but it was hard to tell. Why was a device capable of creating a kryptonian needed for Krypton? Were they a dying race? It didn't sound like it. To me it seemed they were a prospering people. My vision started returning followed by a faint noise that steadily grew into confused yelling, "-at the fuck! Blake!? What the hell is that thing?!" My eyes blinked back into focus and I immediately saw Denise clutching a plastic bin with eyes wide in fear.

I sat up quickly, "Denise its alright, calm down!" I felt a little headrush when I stood up, but otherwise I was fine. Experiencing that weird memory dream thing was bizarre, but by far the least weird thing that's happened to me today.

"Whaa-why is there a robot in your apartment!" She said franticly, using the plastic bin as a shield.

"Should I incapacitate her?" Bellad questioned calmly.

"Ah! It talks!?" Denise squeaked.

"No Bellad!" I ordered and positioned myself between Bellad and my foster aunt, placing one hand on Denise's shoulder and another one in a stopping motion toward Bellad, "Denise, its okay, a lot of weird stuff has happened today. Can you calm down?" I said slowly, speaking like I would to a child.

Denise, to her credit calmed down fairly quickly, giving a slow nod while closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "Okay. Why is there a robot in your home?'

I took a moment to collect my words before explaining everything that happened.

-27 minutes later-

By now Denise and I were sitting on my couch and Bellad was in my bedroom fiddling with my laptop. "So, you're like Superman now? Do you know how crazy that sounds?" questioned Denise.

"It sounds _insane_, believe me. But I can do things now that I could never do before. Watch," I said and stood up heading for the kitchen. I took out one of my cutting knives and hovered it over my hand, blade facing down.

"Blake. Stop messing around." Denise quickly followed me to the kitchen standing opposite of the kitchen island. "Seriously that's not funny."

Before she could protest anymore, I jammed the knife right into my hand. It felt like stabbing the floor. The knife bent as soon as it touched my skin. I was surprised I used enough force to crumple the knife like I did. I looked up at my horrified aunt's face.

"How- how is that possible?"

"I told you. A chamber changed my genetic makeup_. Somehow_." I handed the knife to her and said, "I don't know the science, I don't think I can ever hope to understand how this happened, but it did."

Denise started nodding seemingly trying to come to terms with all this. "My niece is a superhero," she said finally. She was still nodding. "Wine," she said after a few moments, "I need _wine_."

I didn't waste another moment. God knows I needed a few glasses myself. "On it," I said pulling out one wine glass and one regular plastic cup from my cabinet. I only owned one wine glass and about a dozen hard-plastic cups of assorted color. I pulled out a bottle of wine and pried the cork off with no effort and poured both our cups to the top. I took my plastic cup and downed it in seconds. Denise followed suit and went to pour herself a second glass.

"So, can you like, fly?" Denise asked. However, before I could respond a loud gunshot noise erupted from nowhere. I jerked in response and looked around my home expecting armed guards to come crashing through my windows. "Blake?" asked Denise confused.

"You didn't hear that?" I said rushing to my door. I checked the peephole to find nothing. Another gunshot went off! "Someone's shooting!"

"Huh?" Denise said a little too loudly to be a normal speaking volume.

This time I heard someone scream. My thoughts immediately turned to Lex Corp. Had they found me? Did they somehow track Bellad and I? No, whatever I heard didn't sound like an organized group of armed guards. Was somebody getting mugged? Or worse shot dead. There were two gunshots and then a scream afterwards, maybe they were still alive? Against my better judgment I rushed out my apartment and toward the balcony overlooking the staircase. Behind me I could hear a confused Denise, but I paid her no mind. I tried to look for what I was hearing. I strained my eyes trying to find the source and that was when I started seeing through things again. I caught a glimpse of the inside of a bakery where there were a line of people waiting for their orders starting to move about frantically. I strained my eyes further and I was able to see behind the store into the abandoned alleyway. Somebody _was_ being mugged! Holy crap that man was going to be killed! Someone in the bakery needed to call the police! Or…. I looked down at my own bullet-proof hands and had a weird thought, _I could stop that mugger_.

Without a second thought I vaulted over the railing and landed on the asphalt parking lot. The bakery was a few blocks away, but I knew somehow, I could reach it in time. If I had Superman's powers, I had his superspeed. I sprinted as fast as my legs would let me. Which turned out to be really _really _fast. The world around me became a blur as I raced toward the bakery. A line of housing separated me from the small shopping district where the crime was happening. I sent a silent prayer to God as I reached the line of houses and jumped. I launched myself over a pale-yellow house high into the air. Wind rushed past me as I was airborne. I slowed for a second when I reached the highest point of my jump and started falling at a rapid pace. _Didn't think about how to make the landing_, I thought briefly before crashing into the road.

I hit the asphalt hard, landing on my feat but falling to my knees. A loud car honk went off right at my face. I gave an annoyed grimace at the driver who looked scared out of her mind. I gave the woman a wave before resuming my run to the bakery. I didn't try to leap over the storefront and instead made my way to the back alleyway. The customers inside the shop seemed to be scared and worried, no doubt hearing the gunshots so close rattled them. I reached the alleyway prepared for a fight. What I saw almost made me throw up. The mugger wore a ski-mask and held a knife in his left hand. Another man laid dead on the ground. Blood poured from a large gash on the man's neck.

"What did you do," I said shocked. The mugger jerked to look at me, startled at my sudden appearance. I saw that he held a wallet in his right hand with a few dollars sticking through his fingers.

"Back off!" The mugger said picking up a gun from the ground and aiming it at me. "I'm not playin'. Now back off!" he sounded just as frazzled as I felt. I didn't get here in time. I was too late to stop this man from murdering an innocent person. I couldn't believe that there was a real dead person a few meters away from me. What possessed a person to take another's life. And for what? A few bucks. I started walking toward him. "Lady! Get. Away."

"You killed that man," I said angry. The familiar rush of heat in my eyes returned. The mugger dropped his knife in fear and gripped the gun with both hands.

"What the fuck are you!" he exclaimed.

The buildup of heat almost released but the sounds of sirens snapped me back to reality. What was I going to do just now? It was like I wasn't in control of my own body. For a brief few seconds I wanted to seek justice for this heinous act in the worse possible way. The sirens started becoming louder until I could hear the doors of police cars opening. I turned back to the mugger and quickly released a fast kick toward his gun hand. He didn't even have the chance to pull the trigger as he let out a yelp of surprise. The gun flew out of his grasp and landed behind him near a dumpster. Then I jumped up onto the roof of the bakery quickly getting out of sight. I made sure not to jump too hard and landed somewhat softly on the gravel filled roof. The last thing I wanted was to be questioned by the police. Once they arrived on scene, I used my superpowered hearing to listen in on what was happening.

"Hey! Hands in the air! Now!" A police officer shouted out. The mugger must have complied because that same officer said to someone else, "Alright, check the body."

The voice of another officer rang out a few moments later, "Jesus Christ. No, he's not alive."

The first officer spoke again more angrily, "Okay scumbag hands behind your back. Move it! On the ground!"

That was when I stopped listening in. I moved into a sitting position and gritted my teeth in frustration. "Fuck!" I muttered. _Its not my fault_, I thought to myself over and over trying my best to believe it. _How was I supposed to get here in time? _I knew that just because I had Superman's powers didn't mean I was as strong as him. I couldn't just straight up save the day. But damn it if it didn't absolutely suck.

I waited a few minutes until I thought the police would leave, but they stayed longer than I thought. I guess they had to 'canvas the scene' or whatever it was called. I didn't watch a lot of cop shows. That was more Denise's thing. _Oh shit, Denise_. I'd completely forgotten about my aunt. I crawled to the edge of the roof near the storefront. There were two police cruisers parked right in the front, a few of the customers where talking to a policeman. I decided to try to jump onto the neighboring building. If I remembered right, it was a furniture store. The alley separating the two stores didn't connect to the one where the police were at, so, hopefully no one will see me. I let out a "Hep" as I lightly jumped to the other building. I crouched down and made my way to the edge and lowered myself over the railing and let myself drop back down onto the alleyway pavement.

I walked out onto the sidewalk and gave a discreet glance at the crime scene. The police officers were putting the cuffed mugger into the back of their car. The man looked up at his surrounding and widened a bit when he saw me. "Demon woman!" he yelled panicking. The mugger started squirming and threw a few frantic kicks at the policemen. Thankfully the officers had no problem shoving him inside and slamming the door shut.

"Crazy meth-head," one of the officers muttered.

I didn't wait any longer and started my run back home. I couldn't keep Denise waiting any longer. She'll have drank my entire bottle of wine by now.

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**A/N: I do not own Justice League, it belongs to DC comics. Any original characters belong to me.**


	4. What Dreams Are Made Of

Chapter 4:

What Dreams Are Made Of

I spent the run home contemplating my situation. I have no doubt that Denise would let me back to work as a waitress but after everything that's happened, could I really go back to a normal life? I dismissed the thought from my head. What was I going to do instead? Become a superhero?

Shortly after, I arrived back home I found my aunt halfway into my wine bottle and Bellad watching her curiously. "Denise, you alright?" I said gingerly stepping closer to my drunken aunt.

It took two seconds for her to respond, "Huh, oh yeah? Yeah. I'm uh. I'm, imma. I am _good_."

I nodded along, "Yup. I'm just gonna call Anders. Okay? We'll get him to pick you up, yeah?" After setting my aunt down on my couch with a glass of water. I called my uncle. We spoke a few words; Anders was delighted to know I was fine and still kicking. I told him how Denise had dropped by and we caught up and how she ended up drinking a little too much. Anders told me they had gotten a call from the hospital to inform them that I was there and was soon to be released. Bellad must have somehow put Anders and Denise as my emergency contact. I did have their info on my computer. He also told me that Denise had gone to my apartment to collect some books for me to read while I was bedridden. Though she didn't expect to see me awake and _already_ home.

When Anders pulled up into the parking lot, I helped my aunt down the stairs and into the car. Denise said in a loud hushed voice, "Don't worry I won't tell Anders our _secret_."

Anders piped up, "Oh? And what secret is that?"

Denise put a finger to her mouth in a hushing motion, "Shhh. It's a secret _but_ Blake is a…" and she looked left and right eyeing the empty lot, "is a superhero."

"Right," Anders said drawing out the word. He looked back up to me, "I'll make sure she gets to bed."

"Thanks Anders," I said and waved them off.

When I was back home, I collapsed on my bed ready to sleep off the day. Bellad hovered into my room and asked, "Do you think it was wise to reveal your secret to the human?"

"I trust Denise," I said with my face in my pillow.

For a few seconds Bellad said nothing and then left my room saying, "Good night Miss Blake."

I muttered a "g'night." And fell right asleep.

Krypton, Vorkan City. Three years before its destruction.

Faora

One of my assistants had called for my attention back at the lab. It was the worst possible time. I didn't expect any change in subject's health or any new developments. A few years of my life had gone into this research and I feared it would all be wasted. Every subject we have ever tested on failed. My time was being exhausted on a futile experiment. A rumble shook the ground, most likely a cargo ship landing on the loading dock. I headed down the long winding staircase into the dark laboratory I had spent an unseemly amount of time in.

"Davra, why have you called me?" I asked without hiding my annoyance.

"Commander, I know you are busy but _look_." Davra pointed at a screen excited for my reaction.

My eyes lit up at what was shown. The experiment was a success. The subject for POD-216 had survived. "Incredible," I said truly amazed. This was a monumental victory. The very tides of war would favor our side. Dru's vision for Krypton would finally become reality. "After all these years…" I moved closer to the pod.

"It's an amazing discovery, commander!" Davra said.

I placed a hand on the glass panel of the pod, looking down at the sleeping figure inside, "…subject 164, you are the key to Krypton's future."

Davra, who had been going back and forth between computer monitors stopped suddenly. "one sixty-four? What other subjects do you mean? This man is a _patient_," he said gesturing toward the pod.

I turned to look at Davra, he was a young man who had graduated top of his class from his home city's university. I could sense his growing concern. I walked toward him causing him to take a step back, "Do you know what we've created? The foundations for a greater world are at our _fingertips_." He just needed to see what the vision was. To understand it. Accept it.

Davra's voice wavered, "You've had p-previous patients. You told me that a volunteer had died five years ago, and the program was pushed back until better equipment was available. Until it was safer to continue. How m-many people have gone through this?" He was confused and steadily becoming more unbalanced.

"Enough to get us this far and as many it takes from here on out," I said challenging. I needed to see his mettle. His true colors. Was he truly the man of science he claimed to be? Ready to do whatever it takes to further our cause? Or just another weakling to be trampled over.

"Y-You've killed innocents," he stated, face pale.

I breathed in deeply grabbing my blade from its holster, "Empathy," I said disappointedly. A trait of a less evolved species. I thrusted my dagger into Davra's chest.

He let out a choking gasp. Blood pooled in his mouth trickling down his chin. "You're a _monster_," he sputtered. I twisted the dagger and his body went limp.

Blake

I woke up gasping for air. It was so real! Everything was so vivid and clear. I've never had a dream like that in all my life. I killed that man. I had twisted a knife into his gut. Like the man in the alleyway. Bleeding dead on the ground. Lifeless. I ran to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. My breaths turned ragged and I could feel the start of a panic attack. The whole world seemed too unbearable to exist in and I couldn't hold a breath to save my life. I turned on the shower and huddled into the very corner of my bathtub. I let the hot water rain down on me until I started feeling better. The steam from the water filled my bathroom and no doubt spread out into the rest of my apartment. I didn't mind. The warm water was relaxing and eventually I felt better enough to get up from the tub, turn off the shower, and dry off. My clothes were soaked so I left them inside the tub.

I felt the telltale signs of an oncoming headache and popped a few Advil's. That was when it dawned on me. It wasn't a dream I had. It was a memory. The memory of that woman. "Fa-ora," I sounded out. That was her name. The memory Bellad showed me depicted her as an aspiring scientist. This one however showed her in a much darker light. I shuddered at the events held in the memory. Whoever Faora was. She was capable of cold-blooded murder. I was starting to think not all Kryptonians were as heroic as Superman.

"Miss Blake?" Bellad called.

I nearly jumped in fright. I still wasn't used to a hovering robot. Let alone one that might be evil. "Oh, hey Bellad," I said as nonchalantly as I could.

"Is everything all right?"

"Why wouldn't everything be alright?" I asked, again trying to appear calm and collected.

Bellad said nothing for a few seconds then floated out of the room saying, "Alright then."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I turned on the sink and splashed cold water onto my face. I needed to pull myself together. I looked up at the mirror. I saw my long dark brown hair slightly damp and hanging past my shoulders. I looked at my small upturned nose and thin eyebrows. _Why me? _I thought. Why did _I _have to be the one person to wonder into a secret government laboratory and get turned into an alien? I noticed something I'd never seen on my face before. My eyes, usually dark brown, appeared to be several shades lighter. Almost like amber or honey. Why didn't I see that right away?

I turned away from the mirror and left my bathroom. I needed to go out and get completely wasted. Preferably with a bottle of tequila. It seemed I was starting to build a tolerance to my own wine collection. "Head to a bar, down a few shots, reevaluate my life choices," I listed off my plan for the day. I went to my closet and got dressed. Jeans and my favorite hoodie. It was just casual for today. I walked into my living room to find Bellad watching the news. I didn't know if he was evil or just the product of an evil person. Were Bellad's intentions malicious? Was he plotting something nefarious? I couldn't say. "I'm heading out for the evening," I said.

Bellad didn't reply and instead continued to watch the TV.

"Okayyy," I said heading out the door.

The morning air felt fresh and breezy. A perfect day for a jog downtown or a hike in the park or getting heavily intoxicated. Walking down the staircase the sunlight hit my face directly and I was suddenly assaulted by an overload of senses. I fell down onto my knees clutching my head. The world was getting louder again! Every sound from miles away I could hear crystal clear. Sounds of dishes being washed, dogs barking, cars honking, people talking over one another. It was madness! I tried calming myself down, taking a few deep breaths before bearing the pain and standing upright. There was no one around me but I could still hear _everyone_. How the hell does Superman do it? I tried to just ignore everything and continue walking down the street. I didn't have a car and my phone was still at Donnie's so I couldn't call an Uber. I just had to grit my teeth and walk without seeming like a nutjob.

The walk to the bar was excruciatingly difficult. Eventually the sounds started fading and I could focus more on my walk to the bar. Everything still seemed way too loud, but it was far more bearable. When I finally arrived at the bar, I was jarringly disappointed to see it was closed. "What the fuck," I said annoyed. There was a sign at the window that read, 'Closed For Maintenance'. I was thoroughly peeved now because I just realized why it was closed. Donnie's Wing Hut was only four buildings down. Most likely the super fight that caused my life to spiral into chaos also destroyed my only means of dealing with said chaos. "Great, just effing great."

The sirens brought me out of my stupor. They weren't too loud, so I glanced around trying to spot the source. It was distant but I could hear the sirens coming from SE Maddison's St. Which was only a few miles away from where I was. I tried to concentrate on seeing through the buildings and neighborhood that blocked my vision like before. I was able to barely make out the firetrucks barreling down the street. They were headed my direction. Curiously I looked opposite of me and saw a building on fire behind a taller office building. I wondered why I didn't hear the fire on my way to the bar. It looked like the fire was spreading. It must've started out small but enough to warrant a fire alarm to go off and for the firemen to respond. This time I heard the roar of the flame growing faster and spreading farther throughout the building. Then I heard people starting to scream.

My heart started pounding in my chest. I mean, I could actually hear it beating louder which was unnerving on its own, but the panic filling my chest took precedence. Why was I getting so worked up? The firemen were on their way. I could _hear _them coming. _But would they get there in time? _I thought worryingly. _Shit_. The screams were getting louder and before I knew it my feet were moving on their own. _Why am I doing this_, I thought as I sprinted down Maycaster Blvd. and straight toward the burning building. I was speeding down the road much faster than yesterday. The world blurred and the air rushed past me. Time seemed to slow down as I maneuvered around other people and cars. It was an incredible thing to experience. When I was close to the building, I saw that it was an old school brick layered building. There was a mounted brick sign near the front entrance that read, 'Jensen's Law Firm' and there were about a dozen or so office workers running out into the street in slow motion. I was still mid-run when I took in all that information. It was so bizarre, when I looked upon the roaring fire it also moved in slow motion. With my x-ray vision, though I loathed calling it that, I was able to see four people trapped on one of the top floors. The fire had consumed the floor beneath them. From what I could see they were the only people left in the building. Using the momentum from my run I launched myself straight into the top floor window. I braced for impact as I burst through the glass. Of course, I didn't feel any pain at all, but I still felt like I had to cover my eyes. The four office workers were huddled behind a desk on all fours. The smoke was higher in the air and smelled horrible. I ducked down and called out to the workers, "Hey! Over here!"

One of the workers looked around confused before spotting me. He was an older man with short black hair and a clean shaven faced. The other three people were a blonde woman wearing a neat grey business suit, an old man with big glasses and a younger looking kid with a Minecraft shirt. "How the hell…" the man started but stopped himself, "You need to get down, the fire department are on their way!" he yelled back coughing.

I moved closer to them. "Give me your hand!" The roar of the fire was loud. Strangely I didn't feel the heat. It was definitely warmer in here, but I couldn't feel the searing heat one would feel this close to an open flame. I was done waiting for them to make a move. They seemed too scared to move from their spot on the floor. So, I stood up and grabbed the man under the arms and lifted the kid over my shoulder. The man gave a confused yell and the kid was starting to hyperventilate. Once I had them secured, I jumped out the window praying to God that I didn't drop two innocent people on cold hard concrete. I managed to mitigate my fall by bending my knees almost all the way to the ground once I landed. I let the two go and said, "Are you both okay?"

The kid nodded grateful and the man looked back up toward the building, "Debora... Mr. Jensen…."

"Don't worry," I said walking toward the building again, aiming myself for the window, "I'll get them." I didn't have a running start this time, but I was confident I could make the jump. I leaped into the air and hit the railing of the window. I quickly hauled myself over and back into the building. The woman and old man were still huddled behind the desk.

When the woman saw me, she said, "Oh thank you God! Can you take us down?" she said hopeful.

"Of course, now climb on." I ended up cradling the old man in my arms while the woman was on my back holding on for dear life. I reached the window and let my self fall, making sure to brace for impact. I hit the ground a little more gracefully this time.

I set the man down on his feet and he put a hand on my shoulder, and he said in between ragged coughs, "Thank you miss, you saved our lives." He then hobbled over to the man and child all the while steadying himself on the woman.

Said woman looked back toward me and spoke softly, "Thank you."

Hearing those words and the words of the man I felt this warm feeling grow inside me. I managed a curt nod and started jogging away. Once the firetruck arrived followed by an ambulance, I made a hastier exit. Lest I reveal myself and my powers to the public. I worried that the four office workers would forever recognize me, but I dismissed the thought and instead focused on the fact that I saved them. I made a difference in the world and it was such a marvelous feeling. Way better than drowning my sorrows in tequila shots.

Instead of making my way straight home I decided I needed to head to Donnie's and retrieve my phone. Instead of speeding down the street I opted to just walk. I was a _normal _person. Normal people walk when they don't own cars. About four minutes into a fifteen-minute walk I decided to just hurry things along and run along rooftops like some kind of vigilante. Did Superman start off not being able to fly? Food for thought, I suppose.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I saw Denise working the till. I waved to her. She noticed and waved back. There were a couple of customers in line, so I didn't want to distract her from work, I made the pretend phone motion with my hand and mouthed the word 'cellphone'. Denise nodded understanding and pointed behind her toward the small office room.

With my phone now retrieved and the line of customers non-existent I walked up to Denise and said, "Hey thanks about being cool with all that's happening."

Denise gave me a confused look, "Well. Yeah, it's not everyday you fall in a hole and get knocked unconscious for a week." She seemed to be trying to fish for the right response.

"Right, and get superpowers," I said frankly. There was something off about Denise. She seemed _vacant_. Not all the way there. I only saw her blank gaze for a second before she continued.

"Superpower?" she said laughing, "What like the Flash?"

I backed up a few steps. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I tried to make sense of what my aunt was saying. Was she joking? I had to ask. "No, I mean… superpowers like _Superman_."

"Oh, honey if all we needed was a bump on the head to be like Superman," she said walking toward the sink. Denise loaded a few dishes and said, "You know, its weird," she touched her forehead, "I had this strange dream last night," she let out a laugh, "You and me were in my car and we were talking about cute pet names and…" she paused for a moment, "We had gone up to your apartment and you surprised me with a dog and the little thing was so excited but you were like, "No Bell! Bad dog!" it was so surreal!"

At this point I couldn't speak words. What happened to my aunt? How could she have forgotten everything that's happened! This was so confusing. "I-I need some air."

"Oh! Sure Blake, I'll catch you later!" My aunt continued working on the dishes.

I left the restaurant trying to collect my thoughts. I had several questions which all seemed to point to one answer. Why did my aunt not remember anything? Somebody didn't want her knowing about what happened to me. How could she have forgotten the entirety of last night? Some kind of memory wipe? What kind of device was capable of messing with memory. Making things seem like a hyper-realistic dream. Who was it that was overly cautious about me being friendly with my new found powers? The answer was, Bellad. There was some kind of conspiracy going on that I wanted nothing a part of! Why did this all have to happen to me? Who would I even talk to anymore? I feared for the life of anyone who knew my secret now. What would Bellad do to them?

I steeled my nerves. I took a few deep breaths. I wasn't about to be scared by a flying trashcan. It was clear to me that a simple drone or whatever Bellad was, wasn't capable of fighting me head on. In fact, Bellad _needed_ me to fight those armed guards back at Lex Corp. There was only one person I could think of that could explain to me what was going on. Though I had no idea how I was going to speak with this person. But I knew my path was clear; I needed to talk to Superman.

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**A/N: I do not own Justice League, it belongs to DC Comics. Any original characters belong to me.**


	5. The Passing Of Time

**A/N: Yeaaaah I dont know how but I managed to upload the wrong chapter 5 and its been like that for a while. I am so sorry! For some reason my other story's chapter 5 replaced this one... somehow. Anyways really sorry. please enjoy.**

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Chapter 5:

The Passing Of Time

It was nearing noon and I couldn't come up with a single feasible plan to meet the famous superhero. What do famous superheroes even do when they're not fighting crime or saving the day? Did they have day jobs? The popular assumption of superheroes was that they kept their identities secret to avoid any unwanted attention. That's why they wore masks; like Green Lantern or the Flash. But Superman didn't wear a mask. He wasn't afraid of what people saw. He fought monsters and saved the day without hiding who he was. It was incredibly admirable.

A sense of bravery washed over me. I felt confident about my next course of action. Maybe it was thinking about Superman or my new kryptonian genealogy, but I felt like a stronger person now. Like I could take on any task before me. With that in mind I opened the door to my apartment. Bellad was _still_ watching TV. I closed the door gently and walked into the kitchen. Eyeing the robot, I poured my self a glass of wine and then just drank the rest of the bottle. For some reason I didn't feel that buzz you'd normally feel after drinking this much wine. At least for me.

"Hey Bellad… can I still get drunk?" I asked.

The floating drone turned to me and said, "Most likely, though not from any of Earth's collection of alcoholic beverages."

I nodded slightly peeved and then chucked the empty wine bottle straight at Bellad. The bottle struck him, immediately shattering into thousands of glass shards. Bellad extended eight tentacle-robot arm things that glowed with a blue energy.

"Miss Blake, stand down."

I hopped onto my kitchen island and dove for him! I grabbed the robot by its sides all the while Bellad jerked left and right. The drone jabbed all eight of its arms straight into my neck, left and right arm, collarbone, and cheek. A powerful shock rang through my entire being. It was jarring _but _surprisingly not as painful as I'd thought it would be. It still stung like a bitch though. "Motherfucker, you're trying to electrocute me?" I yelled out. I could feel the electrical energy suddenly intensify in response. As the pain started growing, I got more and more angrier and started putting more force into my grip causing his outer shell to bend.

"Miss Blake you must be having a negative reaction to the-"

"Shut up!" I screamed. "You're lying! That's all you are! A damn liar! You wanted me to think that your planet was a paradise and you erased my aunt's memory didn't you!?" Bellad still tried to jerk free of my grasp trying to pry himself off me with his many arms. But I held strong. I would not let this robot get the advantage.

"I… had to," Bellad released the electrical current and his arms fell limp and retreated back into him.

"Why?" I demanded still holding him in place.

"Faora-" and Bellad went dark and I could feel the drone become heavier. I held him confused. His lit-up grid panel was dark now. His entire body was cold and still.

I was so much more confused now. "What the hell?" I muttered. I held the robot for a few moments and then placed him carefully on my couch. He didn't move or turn back on. I took a few steps back and stared at him. I kicked him with my foot to see if he would react but… nothing. He just stayed _off_. After some deliberating, I decided to stash Bellad in my closet. As an added effect I placed a blanket over him. Then, after more thinking I wedged a broom under the door handle. No. That wouldn't hold him in. "Dammit," I said annoyed. "What the fuck is my life right now?" I asked no one.

I walked back out of my apartment for some fresh air. I expected the sunlight to bring about a headache but instead I felt more relaxed. A small reprieve after today's events. I still couldn't believe I saved those four people. Was I officially a superhero now? Probably not. You'd probably have to be well known and have a costume. What kind of world did I live in? People had abilities, they were called meta-humans, and they fought crime and saved lives in colorful jumpsuits. What was I supposed to do now?

-three days later-

After a well-deserved two-day rest period I decided that I still had to pay rent and continued working my job at the restaurant. Denise still didn't remember that night where I showed her my powers and I've yet to re-show her. It wasn't that I was worried about how she'd react. I already knew how she'd react. Its just… I wanted to keep her… safe? I didn't have the answer per say. I just knew I didn't want her to know. Or anybody, honestly. This wasn't even something I wanted to get a doctor's opinion about. My entire biology changed. How would a hospital react to that? I'd be taken into a government lab to be tested on until the day I died. A brief flash of memory of the Lex Corp laboratory left chills up my back. I would hate to end up strapped to a table and dissected on.

"Everything alright, Blake?" Sheldon, one of our waiters, asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm good. Just counting my tips in my head."

He nodded and left to greet a few new customers. I needed to focus back on the job. One of the customers, a parent, complained that her son's cheeseburger was undercooked. Even though they ordered it medium-rare. When I got to the kitchen area, I dumped the burger and started on a new one. I could've asked the cook, Randal, to start it again but then he'd go off about how this was a _wing _restaurant and who orders burgers anymore. Etcetera. I put a new patty on the grill and out of curiosity I homed in on the table with my super-hearing.

"Mom! The burger was fine I didn't know rare meant not cooked all the way!"

The mom replied, "Don't be absurd honey, The burger was _clearly_ undercooked."

The dad stepped in, "Beatrice, well-done is cooked all the way, rare is the opposite." There was a silent pause and the dad spoke again, "Hey bud just listen to your mom okay?"

I stopped listening and made sure the burger was well-done. Randal came up from behind me, "Why the hell you making the burger again? You drop it or somethin'?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Customer wanted the burger cooked more."

Randal huffed and gave an exaggerated show with his hands waving them in the air, "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You come to a _wing _restaurant, order the one complementary food choice and you don't even order it right. I mean come on."

I stopped him before his rant set us back a few orders, "Hey now, that's why _I'm _redoing it."

"Bless your heart, Blake. You're too good for this place. Your folks ever talk about you running the joint in the future?"

"I'm sure Anders would rather lose his right arm than give up this restaurant."

"Fair enough," he said and started dropping fries in the fryer.

I brought out the new burger to an awaiting six-year-old, apologized for the inconvenience, and got ready to clock out for the end of my shift. I changed out of my uniform and let down my hair. I walked out the restaurant and into the cold evening night. The wind was picking up and a few leaves blew past me. News reports predicted a heavy rainstorm coming in the next few weeks. It almost never rained in Metropolis as opposed to the nearly always gloomy streets of Gotham. I remembered attending a field trip to one of the art studios in Gotham way back in high school. It was a dark and mysterious city. Home of the infamous Batman. I glanced back up at the sky. It looked like it might rain in the next day or so. The darkening sky was littered with large groups of gray clouds. The air felt cool and fresh and the trees in the park rustled with the wind.

If I hadn't been intently listening to the wind, I wouldn't have noticed the shutter noise of a camera. Immediately I snapped my head in the direction of the sound and I could see the outline of a guy suddenly jerk in fright. I kept my eyes locked on where the person was and used my enhanced sight to see who it was. It was a man, dressed in a dark coat with a beanie and sunglasses on. He had an iPhone pointed right at me. He was hiding behind a large bush and was completely hidden from view. I started walking in his direction. The man started fidgeting and looking every which direction, possibly for a sneaky exit. He started to crouch and move backwards, slowly. I walked down a stone walkway leading into the park. When he thought he was in the clear he bolted. The man jumped over a three-foot fence with clumsy precision nearly falling over. That was when I made my move.

The man steadied himself and turned back toward the park only to see me. Right next to him. "Ah!" he screamed nearly falling back down.

I grabbed him by the scruff of his coat, catching him, and pulled him close, "Who. Are. You," I said with as much of an underlining threatening tone as I could muster.

The poor guy stumbled over his words, caught like a rabbit in a bear trap, "I- uh. Well. Um. What I'm- I-"

"Dude," I said. "Calm the hell down."

He managed to say, "My name is Cas. Um. Cassius. I'm a, uh, lab assistant at a… _science place_."

"At a _science place_," I repeated back to him with a deadpan expression.

"Y-Yes."

I nodded at his answer and then held him up high in the air with my right hand. His feet dangled helplessly as he held onto his coat for dear life. "Listen, _Cas_, how about you and your friends at the _science place_ go and screw yourselves. Never follow me again." I dropped him and he landed with a thud. I started walking away.

He scrambled to get back up and said pleading, "Wait I need your help!"

I looked back at him bewildered, "My help? Why?"

"I know about your..." he looked behind him and back at me, "…your abilities." I narrowed my eyes and walked back toward him causing him to stumble backwards a bit. "Wait. Wait! Hold on," he said, voice wavering. Wow, he really thought I was going to hurt him. Was I a little too good at being intimidating? "I know about what happened at Lex Corp." If my eyes could narrow more, they would have. "I don't know exactly what happened but maybe I could help you find a cure."

"There is no cure," I said with finality.

He took a deep breath, "You don't know that. Lex Corp is a shady company and they have all sorts of insane experiments going on, but they have some of the best minds of this era working for them. If they created a serum that gave you powers, they could create an antiserum that could take them away."

"And what if I don't want them gone? I kind of like being super strong."

"Sure. Alright, and have a huge target painted on your back," he said. Cas, if that was his real name, made a valid point. If I didn't have these powers anymore then I wouldn't have to worry about Lex Corp coming for me.

"You really don't know what happened to me if you think what I am now can just be _cured_." I started walking away again.

He paused for a second then said, "What do you mean? What _are_ you now?"

I didn't respond. What was this guy's deal anyway? I didn't have any reason to just reveal what I was to some random stalker. "Look I have places to be. If you keep following me, I'll punch you into the stratosphere."

He gave a light chuckle, "The stratosphere?" I looked at him pointedly. Cas's face went a little white and he cleared his throat. "Right. Well…here," he said and handed me a card with a number scrawled on it. "Look, what you've been going through… I can't imagine. If you need someone to talk to."

I took the card and said, "What do you know about kryptonians?" Immediately, I regretted saying it.

"Kryptonians? Um, not much. The head scientists are the ones that run point on the research projects. I know that their home planet was destroyed, and that Superman was the only survivor. Um, lets see. I know that their abilities stem from our own yellow sun."

"What? How?" I asked genuinely curious.

Cas straightened his jacket and crossed his arms, "If you want to know more than you'll hear me out."

"Alright Cassius," I said looking back at his number and making a new contact in my cell. I pocketed my phone and looked back at him. I stared for a few seconds trying to uncover what his deal was. Was he just a spy for Lex Corp trying to get me to trust him or did he really need my help. When I looked upon his pleading face and overall sad looking expression I opted for the latter. "I'll text you where we can meet up."

"Oh! Thank you! Seriously you have no idea what this means to me," his face lit up and he went to shake my hand. I reciprocated and told him it was fine. Cassius didn't seem like the person to pretend to need my help but maybe that was what a good super spy would do. Besides it wouldn't hurt to have someone to talk to. Also, if he does end up betraying me, I could just beat the shit out of him.

Once we parted ways I headed back home. I checked on Bellad, the unconscious robot, as soon as I entered. He hadn't turned on, or moved, or even beeped. I ended up replacing the closet doorknob with one that could lock. Deep down I knew it didn't make much of a difference but if Bellad suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and decided to kill me I would hear him struggle with the door. At least for a second anyway. A chance to defend myself was all I needed. I mean, I was basically bullet proof.

Instead of turning in for the night I opted to watch a little TV and enjoy my evening. I microwaved a hotpocket and turned on my TV. I was halfway between watching Iron Man 2 when an explosion ripped apart my wall. Wooden splinters rained all across my living room and the force of the explosion knocked me off my couch. I let out a yelp of surprise and stood up quickly trying to stabilize myself. I looked for whatever just destroyed my apartment to find a flying metal robot man. I didn't have time to think and ran right toward the source of hundreds of dollars in wall repair. I leaped right out of the hole in my wall at the flying robot. I tackled the metal figure which caused him to dip downward ten or so feet, but he still remained airborne. As I held onto the metal ridges, I got a good look at the robot and more importantly the man inside it. The entire thing appeared to be a _suit_. It was dark green and had large metal arms with three flexible spikes for each hand. Its feet seemed to be primarily used to keep the suit in the air as it had this red glow underneath like mini rockets. The main chest/head of the robot was one singular piece and had a glass cover. The man inside was non other than Lex Luthor himself.

An overconfident and arrogant voice rang out, "Hello Blake Sanders. So nice to meet you again." His voice came out of speakers and held an electronic tone. Suddenly a green light appeared from the chest plate of the robot suit. I looked down briefly to see a double "L" logo. Then the light flashed bright and a force impacted me. I flew backwards with a searing pain in my abdomen. I hit the wall of the apartment complex that sent an eruption of brick and pieces of wooden plank flying. Amazingly I hadn't fallen down onto the ground. The impact into the side of the building left a crater large enough for me to sit in. There was an aching pain in my stomach. Whatever he blasted me with did a serious amount of damage. I looked on in shock at Lex Luthor who grinned evilly at my expense.

I tried to stand up or at least get better footing inside my crater, but a wave of nausea hit me and the pain in my stomach felt worse. "What… the hell was that," I managed to say.

Lex didn't respond to my muttering and said, "I think proper introductions are in order," he hovered closer to me and looked me up and down. "I am Lex Lu-"

"Lex Luthor, yeah I figured."

He looked a little annoyed and continued, "Right, well it seems that you have stolen property that rightfully belongs to Lex Corp." He brought up his right clawed hand that had a hole in the palm that glowed bright green. "I would very much like it back."

After I felt a little of my strength return, I launched myself right at Lex. Midair I reared back my arm and aimed to punch the robot suit right in the glass cover. "Fuck off!" I yelled and then went, "Oof!"

Right before my fist could connect, Lex's robot hand grabbed my head faster than I could see. The metal hand hit like a dumbbell and when he caught me, I could feel the rest of my body ragdoll toward Lex in an uncomfortable way. He held my limp body in the air and pulled me close. "Hmm. You're not as strong as him. Fortunate but disappointing."

I let out what I hoped was a war cry but more likely sounded like muffled yelling. It was a little difficult with all the pain and not being able to see right but I managed to activate my heat vision and attempted to melt the hand off of me. I heard a growl from Lex, and I was immediately thrown. I flew toward the ground and briefly saw my car before, CRASH! Darkness enveloped my sight and I felt cool metal around my face. I managed to pull myself free from my indention in the car. I blinked a few times trying to clear my vision and verified that I indeed just hit my own car. "Son of a bitch," I whispered and looked back up at the flying billionaire. It was harder to see his face from this distance, but I knew he was smugly grinning.

I tried to stand but slipped and fell right on the asphalt ground. I groaned in pain and slowly managed to stand on my knees. I heard a thunk and saw Lex Luthor standing a few feet from me looking just as smug as I thought. "So, you have some of his abilities but to a limited degree. I wonder if it's your new alien biology slowly adjusting to its new environment or you're still too human to possess all the strength a normal kryptonian would have on Earth. Still you would prove to be a valuable resource… or loyal soldier," he left the ultimatum hanging in the air. What kind of messed up choice was this? I had no intention of being Luthor's body guard but the idea of being dissected was far worse. What was I going to do?

I tried to stall. "So, what? You're going to give me a few weeks to decide?" I said hopeful and slightly pleading.

"More like a few seconds."

I stood up, though it felt like I was moving through tar. My body felt weaker and the world seemed heavier. What was making me like this? What the hell did Lex _do_ to me? "And what _property_ are you talking about?"

"The drone that you so daringly escaped with. It. Belongs. To. Me." Lex spoke slow and deliberate like speaking to a disobedient dog. The double "L" emblem glowed again, and another wave of nausea hit me. This time the pain that followed was far more intense and brought me back to my knees. It felt like my insides were melting.

I let out a pained filled groan and said, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Let's just say it goes to show how much you don't know about your own biology." He lifted his arm and his three-pronged hand transformed into what looked like a cannon. He aimed it right at my head and said, "So, what'll it be? A life of luxury under the direction of my influence _or_ a lab rat?"

"I…"

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League, it belongs to DC Comics. Any original characters belong to me.**


	6. A Choice Undecided

**A/N: Please re-read chapter 5. My brain did a dumb thing and posted the wrong chapter 5, please enjoy this additional chapter as compensation! **

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Chapter 6:

A Choice Undecided

"I don't have all day, Ms. Sanders. My patience is wearing thin," spoke the commanding voice of Lex Luthor. His giant hulking robot suit aimed its arm cannon that glowed a sickening green. I was either to join Lex and his mysterious agenda or suffer a fate worse than death and be experimented on. I couldn't speak. To face mortality after being so indestructible, even for just a few days, was kind of off-putting. In fact, I was pretty sure I hated feeling like this. Being so _vulnerable_. "Alright then. I guess I'll have to choose for you," and the arm cannon's green light glowed brighter ready to fire before a loud zapping was heard. The green light died down and the arm of the robot suit fell limp at Lex's side. "What!?" he yelled, though his voice was now very muffled through the suit.

Behind him a small bronze colored metal robot hovered above him. The metal drone spoke slightly off-pitch, "I do not appreciate you harming my ward, Mr. Luthor."

"Bellad!" I said surprised. "You're alive?" As soon as the words left me, I felt a sudden shift in my body, like the turning point between feeling sick and healthy. I could feel my strength return and the nausea that had plagued me lifted like a fading fog.

"What are you waiting for Miss Blake? I was only able to disable his power suit temporarily," said Bellad as he retracted one of his arms away from the backside of Lex's suit.

"Right," I said and immediately went for an uppercut. I punched Lex so hard that the metal plating on his suit fractured and he was sent flying.

Faintly I could hear Lex mutter a string of curse words and then a feminine robotic voice spoke out from inside his suit, "Activating emergency power supply." And the power suit Lex was in suddenly turned back on! Though it lacked the glowing green emblem. Lex stood back up and extended both arms. Said limbs opened up to reveal a round of attached missiles. I briefly recalled the giant explosion in my living and then he aimed both arms and fired! Dozens of small missiles rocketed toward me. Now I didn't know if it was on instinct or from Bellad's matrix-like combat programming he first inputted into my brain, but I was able to dodge a weave through the flying projectiles like they were thrown crumpled pieces of paper. As soon as I was in range I went for a flying hay-maker. This time Lex wasn't fast enough to block me, and my blow landed with a satisfying crunch of breaking metal.

Lex was knocked back down into the cracking asphalt but looked uninjured. "Shame," he said and pressed a button in his suit. A front panel opened from the chest of his armor and I could see what was inside. A green crystal was held in place by metal wiring and that familiar nauseating pain returned tenfold. This time it was like a knife piercing my soul. The excruciating pain made me seize up and I fell limply on the ground.

"Argh!" Holy fucking hell why was this so agonizing!? Was that green rock causing this? I tried moving but every molecule in my body screamed 'Nope!' Faintly I could hear a zapping noise and the nausea started fading again. However, I had taken too many hits and in my weakened state I could no longer stay conscious. The world around me slowly consumed itself in darkness and I found myself dreaming again. Of Krypton and its wonders. Of that lab and its horrors.

The Next Day.

When I woke, the sunlight was the first thing to greet me. I expected another headache but was welcomed with warmth. The next thing to greet me was an overwhelmingly raunchy smell. I plugged my noise quickly and said, "What the hell…" and looked at where I was. Trash. I was on a literal mountain of trash. Beyond it was the sea. I stood up to get a good look. I was on a garbage scow. A huge boat meant to haul nothing but trash across the ocean. _Better than waking up strapped to a metal table, I suppose._

Bellad spoke from behind," Good morning Miss Blake." I turned my head to find the drone hovering a few feet away, facing the ocean.

I turned my full body toward him and balanced myself better on the loose garbage. I didn't know if Bellad was still hostile towards me. Even if he did save me, I didn't know if I could still trust him.

Bellad seemed to acknowledge this though and said, "Don't worry about me attacking you. Despite what you might believe. I harbor no ill will toward you."

I gave an exhausted laugh, "Yeah? Feel free to explain your murdering scientist friend. The pod woman, Faora. She seemed to harbor ill will toward anyone who didn't see her way."

"Check your pocket."

I did and was surprised to find a diamond-shaped prism object with riveted edges. It was black and had a little weight to it despite being the size of a Crayola marker. "What is this?"

"All that was left to me. It contains the living consciousness of one, Faora Hu-Ul."

"The murder woman!"

Bellad turned to me a little quick, "Yes. _The_ _murder woman_. Anyway, I was her personal assistant drone and aided her with her research. When Faora started committing acts against the laws of Krypton; Murder, extortion, torturous experiments…"

"Jesus Christ."

"-I started keeping record, as is my programming. However, Faora knew of this and dismantled me. She re-wrote my core programming to one that suited her. When the project she had worked for many years on, came to light with the council it was met with less than agreeable reactions. The council ordered the project to be shut down and any recordings be immediately handed over for further review. As a result, I was uploaded into the main database. Except my programming demanded that I delete any incriminating evidence. So, when the council reviewed my recordings, they found nothing. Thus, absolving Faora and the other scientists of any suspected crime. The project continued nevertheless under the guise of 'medical research'. Eventually I was shut down and used as a navigation program for POD-217. What Faora failed to realize was that when I was uploaded into Krypton's main database I automatically downloaded an update for my software and you nearly destroying me back at your apartment caused the Faora AI to shut me down allowing me to reset and install the update, restoring me to my default programming."

That was a lot to take in, "So, this Faora person was an evil scientist. Whatever happened to her?"

"I am unsure. When I was inputted into POD-217 I effectively went into sleep mode. Until the day you discovered me that is. When Lex Corp had breached the security program in the pod I was reactivated and then found you." Bellad sounded almost thankful. I suppose being trapped in a building with nothing, but evil scientists would worry anyone.

"So, you've been asleep for who knows how long… how did you know about Superman? Faora even said he was from the House of El."

"When you were placed in the chamber Faora was able to access all of your memories including the ones with Superman. She likely recognized the House symbol. What you would refer to as his 'S' emblem."

"Ohhh. His 'S' isn't an 'S' at all." I was absorbing all this new information like a sponge. Any revelations into the mysterious workings of Krypton and this unwarranted experiment was needed knowledge. I had about a million more questions but one stuck out above the rest. "What was the chamber meant for? What was the point of it all?"

Bellad explained, "The chamber, as you know, is capable of re-creating a person's entire genetic makeup. Its purpose was to create soldiers. Not every kryptonian was born battle ready. On Krypton natural birth was extinct and birthing pods were created to sustain the population. Pre-determined paths were written into the genetic code of every child. Their entire life was written in their very biology. But what if war times were upon us? Soldiers were a finite resource. We had the technology to nearly bring back a person from the brink of death, but it was a risky procedure and almost always fatal. Instead what better way than to use average every-day citizens who had the soul for battle but lacked the strength and endurance. That was what the purpose for the chamber was. A tool for war."

I had to ask, "So what? I have the genes of a soldier now? I don't feel very battle ready."

"You are still partially human, and you have yet to experience true battle," Bellad said. He hovered closer to me, "The chamber tested on a foreign species only once before and to disastrous results. I imagine you have it in you to lose all sense of self and go on killing rampage until your heart gives out."

I blinked trying to process what I'd just heard. Did I have it in me to go on a rampage like a mindless beast? In my heart I doubted it. I've been like this for almost two weeks and I've never come close to just losing control. "I don't think I'm capable of what you're saying…"

"Perhaps. Especially so if you abstain from any stress inducing activities and overusing your powers. It is _also_ possible that not using your powers will resort in rapid organ failure."

"What the fuck!?" I yelled mortified. "Organ failure?!" I circled around the trash boat completely shocked. A couple times Bellad tried to interject but I would yell out, "Organ failure!?". What the hell was my life right now! Why after obtaining incredible powers, I couldn't just live out my life, slowly accepting what I was without any trouble? Was it too much to ask for? After a minute of panicking I gave a deep garbage smelling breath and turned back to Bellad, "What do you mean, _organ failure?_"

Bellad paused before continuing, "-After further examination it turns out that your body is not capable of storing solar radiation as well as a normal kryptonian. It is likely that if you were to abstain from using any of your abilities for a certain amount of time you will perish."

I looked up at the sky, "Is this funny to you, God? Hm?"

"Do you refer to, Rao, the sun deit-"

"No! I am not referring to your stupid kryptonian religion!" I snapped.

"…alright."

I placed my hands on my knees and tried to think about what to do. What the hell was I going to do!? I had crap options. I had to use my powers, but not much, or I could die or become a mindless rage monster _and then_ die. "What the fuck is my life right now?" I said to no one.

Bellad hovered right next to me and said, "You have a choice right now, Blake. To either be scared of life, forever worrying about possible death. Or you could choose to live freely and unafraid. Your condition is _manageable_ I have no doubt about that. My base function is to assist any citizen of Krypton if my own House member is not available. And your genes tell me you are. So, I will be here for you."

I sniffled and tried really hard not to cry. Really hard, but a few tears ran down my face as I turned to Bellad. "Thank you," I said.

"Of course."

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League.**


	7. Carnival Food Is Overpriced

**A/N: Shout out to regulargal** **for the awesome comment, it made my day! :D**

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Chapter 7:

Carnival Food Is Overpriced

"We should probably get off this trash boat, huh?" I said. The view was nice, especially with the rising sun casting that beautiful orange red glow on the horizon. I'd kill for a view like this back home. I wondered if even returning home was a good idea. Lex knew where I lived. He probably knew where I worked too. Nowhere was safe.

Bellad had been sifting through the trash but then joined me up on the highest peak of Mt. Garbage with a dirty backpack in hand. "Yes. Here try this on," he said and handed me the backpack. It was a pale blue color and had the name, 'Felicia' scrawled on the backpack strap with white sharpie. I shrugged it on. It fit a little tightly. Probably meant for a grade-schooler.

"Why am I wearing this?" I asked.

"It is the only suitable disguise I could fit myself in."

"Why would you need to hide in this, you can turn invisible."

Bellad hovered above me and then placed himself in the backpack. He took up a lot of space. The underside of the pack didn't press well against my backside. However, after a second Bellad seemed to shrink into himself and the pack itself wasn't as uncomfortable to wear. "After the fight with Lex Luthor I've exhausted my power reserves. That and with the flight over here, I'm afraid I won't be able to camouflage myself or sustain any high altitudes."

"Right, so how are we going to get off this boat?"

"Thankfully your bipedal form allows you to swim across expanses of water. Humans are capable of this, yes?"

"Sarcasm? Bellad I'm impressed. But I think it's about time I _fly._"

Three Hours Later.

I pulled myself up onto the pier of Metropolis Harbor. I was _drenched_ in ocean water. If it hadn't been for my new kryptonian genes I would have _died_ swimming that far. After ascending the ladder, I collapsed on the ground breathing hard. "I…Hate…Swimming." Bellad nudged me upwards. To an outsider's point of view, it would've looked like my backpack grew sentience and lifted me in the air. Faintly in the distance I could smell hotdogs and… oh! Pretzels! "Mmm food," I muttered.

Bellad spoke up, "We should find a temporary base of operations. I would like to suggest the various underground sewer systems left un-"

"Foood," I interrupted. "Food," I clarified.

"…right," Bellad said. "You need nourishment. That is to be expected from organic-based lifeforms."

I walked for a few minutes following the delectable smell of pretzels to find a small carnival fair out on the docks. Most likely a local celebration of sorts. Not uncommon around the rural parts of Metropolis and entirely welcomed.

What was unwelcomed were the absurd prices! $13.56 for a large pretzel! Eight dollars for a hotdog!? This was daylight robbery! "Sorry Miss, I don't decide the prices, I just make the food." The vendor was apologetic and sported one of those red and white striped shirts you'd see in a movie with a carnival in it. Like, in real life you wouldn't see people dress the part. In a movie it would be over emphasized. To make it clear to its audience what it was… _why am I overthinking this?_ Man, hunger was making my mind go way off track.

"Bellad," I whispered, "Can you _make_ money?" The drone never outwardly displayed such abilities but he was super advanced alien technology, so I was hopeful.

"Can I make money?" he repeated back with a somewhat underlying annoyed tone. Like _I _had the nerve to ask him. "If I could simply fabricate objects, wouldn't have I made a more suitable backpack?" He paused then said, "I suppose I could just conjure up a boat while I'm at it."

"Whoa! Watch that new attitude of yours mister!" I felt like I was talking to a child. Which felt like a reoccurring theme in my life…. By the time I walked through the fair I found three tickets and by asking around I learned that with ten tickets I could but a food item or a drink. There were a couple of games that only cost a single ticket or two. Which sucked because I wanted food not the enjoyment of a fun carnival game. Regardless of my inner turmoil I opted to just glance at the games occasionally. Every so often a person would react to my seawater smell and partially wet clothes. But I would just exclaim that a friend dared to me to jump in the water and that was enough to steer off any curious passerby.

Eventually I landed on one game that I had an inkling I could win at. It was a strength tester. You get a giant mallet and hit a weight-sensitive plate that shot up a ball that _if_ with enough power behind it could hit the bell. The grand prize was a giant stuffed dinosaur and I mean _giant_. The stuffed toy was easily bigger than me. There was a line of contenders and even a tall man, a dad probably, in line with his son. He attempted to hit the plate with a solid whack, but to no avail, the ball only went up about halfway before falling back down. The son, who looked to be four years old, started bawling.

I felt bad so I stopped the man before he could walk his crying child away. "Hey, I bet you ten tickets I could win that prize for your son."

The man looked mildly curious and a little skeptical. "I don't know… those games are pretty rigged."

"Yeah, but I know _the trick_ to winning," I tried my best to over-emphasize that there was a secret to winning. Other than, you know, it being completely unbeatable.

The man looked down at his sniffling son, then looked back up at me, "Ten tickets?"

"Alright ladies and gentlemen we have our next contestant! The awesome Blake!" The fair employee was overly flamboyant and gestured to the crowd for a wave of applause. "Okey doke, rules are simple," he now spoke with a football announcer tone, "you get three chances. Three! No more. No less! If you miss the plate it counts as one chance. Make it halfway up the meter and you get to pick one of our secondary prizes!" he gestured to a table with small rubber bathroom ducks. "Now. Your weapon, milady," and he handed me the wooden mallet.

"Thanks," I said and readied myself for my first whack. I didn't want to put too much power into it or else I could break the entire game and draw unwanted attention. I've thrown a few punches, jumped over enough houses to have a vague reference for the amount of power I needed to pull this off. I lifted the mallet over my head… and swung! The ball shot up like a rocket and hit the bell with a loud ding! The crowd of onlookers cheered, and the employee looked genuinely shocked.

"Holy shit," he whispered. Then jumped back into his fun and extravagant carnival persona, "Well, well, well! We have ourselves a winner folks!" He handed me the T-rex and I in turn handed it the man and his son. The child had wide eyes and a giant grin almost as big as the dinosaur.

The dad looked flabbergasted. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "You weren't kidding! Ten tickets, here! It's all yours. Thank you so much."

"Not a problem," I said taking the tickets.

A Few Minutes Later.

After finding a secluded spot I ate my pretzel like a champ. Bellad had floated out of the backpack and hovered next to me. Once I had finished my pretzel I said, "We should to talk to Cassius."

"And who might that be?" asked Bellad.

By now I had crumbs all over me and bits of salt on my hands. Idly, I licked at my fingers and said, "He stalked me outside of work. He knew I was at Lex Corp and that I left the building with superpowers. He didn't know how I got them though. He obviously worked at Lex Corp even though he didn't want to admit it, and he said he needed my help."

"Do you trust him?"

I shrugged, "Not really, but who else would know what Lex is up to other than one of his own scientists?" Bellad agreed. Our choices were limited, and we couldn't stay on the run forever. Going to my aunts was out of the question. What if Lex showed up and took my aunt as a hostage or god forbid killed her? We decided that the best course of action at the moment was to gather as much information on Lex Corp and then decide where to go from there.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or its characters. **


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